by Douglas Starr; Knopf, 2010; 320 pages, $26.95

The fact that there are no fictional characters to direct in this book can make The Killer of Little Shepherds a difficult read. Author Douglas Starr even admits in his author’s note he “simplified the language in order to make the material accessible to the layman.” This book is based on the French serial killer Joseph Vacher (pronounced Vashay) and the two men who successfully aided the penal system to ensure Vacher received the death penalty. Vacher’s behavior is a worthy lesson regarding how the argument “nature or nurture” defines us.

Every chapter is dedicated to the slow progression as a society we have made to our own individuality. It asks the questions: Why did he do that? What makes a pedophile? Or a parent wringing their hands in shame lamenting, “Where did I go wrong?” From 1893-1897 Vacher terrorized the rural areas of France. It was only through the intelligent teachings of Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne and prosecutor Emile Fourquet that enabled the justice system to put Vacher to death. This is not a book that argues pro or con for the death penalty. Rather, it is an exploration of the workings of human beings.

Long before computers or the discovery of DNA, we were a mystery to ourselves. Alienists, (or physiologists) were fascinated with the human brain. The majority still worked under old myths or legends on what make a person insane. With the guillotine as the means of capital punishment, there was an ample supply of condemned prisoners in which to autopsy. Lacassagne was an early 19th-century professor of medicine and criminologist. He authored a physician’s handbook with the exact details to perform an autopsy to determine if the death was fair, foul or suicide. This small handbook began to take roots with his European neighbors, as well as extending its reach to the Americas. It is amazing how accurate he was in a time period that held only an iota of what we know now. He successfully autopsied bodies to prove murder, not suicide, as the real cause of death. The good doctor also developed thousands of files and exhibits that enhanced his skill and those of his students. They were the CSI’s of 1896 and beyond.

On the flip side of the doctor, investigators were also learning and making great strides in detecting criminal behavior. A local magistrate had begun his own show of files and exhibits, which would later become Interpol. He cataloged every criminal within his district’s physical features in such a way they could not escape. His system would play a major role in Vacher’s capture.

Vacher was put to death Dec. 31, 1898, going to his grave without his head. His brain was dissected into sections and sent to various doctors for study. Though he tried to escape the death penalty by reasons of insanity, he lost his bid proving that insane humans can be sane enough to understand right from wrong. Which leads me to wonder, are we ever going to get things right? How many mistakes have we made in executing truly insane people who do not know right from wrong?

Charlee Harris is a freelance writer in Anniston.

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